A recent report by the Center for American Progress outlines how states can take action to reduce prescription drug spending. According to the report, states looking to reduce spending face a number of major challenges. "Federal law preempts the most sweeping, comprehensive state reforms that […]
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Massachusetts to Pay for Zolgensma on One Condition: It Must Work
Massachusetts' Medicaid program, MassHealth, has inked a conditional deal for Novartis' $2 million one-time spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) gene therapy, Zolgensma, WBUR reports. According to the report, MassHealth says it agrees to pay for the drug on the condition it works. "We think it makes […]
PRMA’s White Outlines Expanded U.S. Presence
PRMA Consulting's Nathan White, senior principal and U.S. practice lead, in a recent interview outlines the agency's latest expansion in the U.S. with its new Philadelphia office. White says the agency has a long history of working with clients in the U.S., and that "now is the perfect time for […]
ICER’s Whitrap: Not All Investors See Only Dollar Signs
David Whitrap, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review vice president of communications and outreach, in a recent post says some investors see beyond dollar signs. Whitrap points to a report by Morningstar in which it gives AstraZeneca a nod for its efforts to make "smart strategic decisions […]
Study: Reference Pricing Leads to Lower Drug Spending for Employers
A recent study published in JAMA suggests reference pricing used in employer-sponsored health plans could help employers reduce their drug spend. The authors, however, also found physicians were generally slow to adapt to reference pricing incentives. "That physicians adapt quickly to the […]
Rosenthal Blasts Health System, Policymakers on Surprise Bills
Journalist and physician Elisabeth Rosenthal in a recent opinion piece published on the New York Times criticizes the health care system and U.S. policymakers over surprise health care bills. "Major sectors of the health industry have helped to invent this toxic phenomenon, and none of them want […]
Price of Decades-Old Drug Skyrockets, Georgia City Sues
The price of Belcher Pharmaceuticals' Acthar gel skyrocketed after having been granted orphan status by the Food and Drug Administration, and a city in Georgia is firing back in a new lawsuit that claims the drugmaker is keeping the price artificially high, according to media reports. According […]
Study: Drug Price Hikes Were Main Driver of Increased Health Spending by Employer-Sponsored Plans
A new released Thursday by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) found that prescription drug price hikes were the main driver of record-high health spending for individuals under employer-sponsored health plans. According to the study, average annual spending reached $5,892 in 2018. Overall […]
2020 CADTH Symposium Issues Call for Late-Breaking Abstracts
CADTH announced this week that it is accepting late-breaking abstracts for its upcoming 2020 CADTH Symposium set to begin April 18 in Toronto. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28. According to an email, eligible submissions must meet at least one of the following criteria: it must […]
MAPS Appoints Dwyer as First Chair of New Committee
The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) appointed medical affairs consultant Mary Dwyer as the first chair of its Executive Program Committee. Dwyer, who was most recently AstraZeneca's vice president of Global Medical Excellence, brings more than 25 years of experience in medical […]
